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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · staff · charge · last · face · rash · rest · date

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. staff — a stick
  9. face — to confront
  10. last — finally
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — a series
  13. charge — a price
  14. face — part of the head
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. staff — employees
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — to point toward
  23. staff — employees
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com